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‘Physical examination’ into fire at 650 Parliament is complete, but it could be weeks before a full report is ready, Toronto Fire says

Toronto Fire Services says the evidence-collecting portion of the investigation into what caused a six-alarm fire incident at a St. James Town building is complete, but we’re still several weeks — and possibly months — away from getting a full report on what happened.

“The actual physical examination is done, but now we have to pore over all the evidence that was collected,” said Toronto fire Deputy Chief Jim Jessop.

Toronto Fire Services says the next phase of the investigation involves a thorough review of witness statements, listening to all the radio transmissions, conducting forensic testing on parts of the electrical system, and reviewing previous records of inspection history. (Rene Johnston / Toronto Star)

The secondary phase of the investigation is currently underway, he said. It involves a thorough review of witness statements, listening to all the radio transmissions, conducting forensic testing on parts of the electrical system, and reviewing previous records of inspection history.

“That is very, very technical,” Jessop said. “We have to make sure that we follow all the rules of evidence, and quite often that takes more time than the actual physical scene examination itself.”

More than 1,500 residents of the 650 Parliament St. building have been displaced since last month when a fire broke out from the southern tower. There were no serious injuries.

The majority of residents have since found their own accommodations as the building management continues with renovations. But nearly 200 residents are currently housed in emergency shelter at the Regent Park Community Centre, which has been closed to the public.

Management has said some residents could be back in their units by Thanksgiving, but others could be out for up to 16 weeks.

Jessop said Toronto fire is collaborating with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office and the Electrical Safety Authority in investigating the origin, cause and circumstances of the six-alarm fire — which he said was one of the most complex and labour-intensive fires the city has seen in a long time.

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Firefighters who responded to the incident faced significant challenges due to lack of power in the building and the rapid expansion of smoke throughout the building’s units, he said.

They had to climb the stairs of the 23-storey building to make sure nobody was trapped, extinguish the fire in dark and very hot conditions, without the use of an elevator, all while wearing their 100-pound personal protective equipment and carrying all the equipment necessary to fight the fire.

“They literally worked to the point of exhaustion, under very difficult circumstances,” Jessop said. “Had it not been for their efforts, the outcome certainly may have been worse.”

He said the building’s electrical systems suffered significant damage, and there was smoke and water damage throughout the property. All the wires and hydro panels in the hallways were also considerably damaged.

“I’ve never seen one like this before,” he said.

Any time firefighters are called to a highrise building and confirm there’s an actual working fire incident, they automatically upgrade it to a second-alarm, Jessop explained.

That’s because crews need to call in additional resources to complete critical tasks necessary for a highrise property — like placing firefighters in each stairway to ensure there’s enough room for ventilation and evacuation, the need for backup crews to attack the fire, the search and rescue teams, as well as the rehabilitation crews.

Concurrently, the fire investigation teams are also on scene to observe the incident, speak to witnesses and obtain records of the building, Jessop said.

The alarm level is set by the incident commander at the scene. In the case of 650 Parliament, it was determined that it was a six-alarm fire after the crews realized the entire building had lost power and hydro, while people were still inside the building and could be directly affected by the severity of the fire, he said.

Jessop said it’s still too early to determine what kinds of lessons can be learned from this incident, but noted Toronto firefighters are well trained to handle difficult situations.

Gilbert Ngabo is a breaking news reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo

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